Transcript Intro to Anglo-Saxon Period PowerPoint

English Literature
The Anglo-Saxon &
The Medieval Period
(Old English and Middle English)
The Celts in Britain
Before and during the 4th
century B.C.
• Britain home to several
Celtic tribes
• Britain named for one Celtic
tribe—the Brythons
• Farmers and hunters
• Celtic religion a form of
animism
• Druids were Celtic priests
Social Structure

Celt tribes
– 20-30 tribes, each with a king
– people worked on their family’s farm
– trained Druids were important in religious life
– women could be soldiers and leaders
• Queen Boadicea fought the Romans
Roman Invasion
55 B.C.
Julius Caesar invades Britain
 Latin is spoken
A.D. 43
 Celts defeated by Claudius
 Romans build walls, villas, baths, roads
 The Celts were absorbed into Roman society
A.D. 409
 Romans evacuate their troops
 Central government breaks down
 Britain left vulnerable to attack
 Often noted as the beginning of the “Dark Ages”
•
Invasion from Northern Germany:
The Angles, The Saxons, The Jutes
Anglo-Saxons

449 AD-People from
northern Europe
begin a series of
invasions
We call them the AngloSaxons (Angles and
Saxons)
– bring Germanic languages
– Beginnings of Old English
the first language
recognized as “English”
(originally “Angleish”)

Woden--father of the gods
Anglo-Saxon Society
Kinship (family) groups led by strong
warrior chief
 People farmed and fished
 Established local governments
 Fine craftwork produced
 English emerged as a written language
(first time stories are written down)
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Anglo-Saxon Religion
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Offered no hope of an
afterlife
Valued earthly virtues of
bravery, loyalty,
generosity, friendship
Similar to Norse
mythology (Thor/Loki)
Odin=Woden in AngloSaxon from which we get
Wednesday (Woden’s
Day)
Anglo-Saxon Bards
Called scops
 Strummed harp as
they sang songs and
stories of heroic
deeds
 Since A-S didn’t
believe in afterlifewarriors gained
immortality through
songs about their
brave deeds
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By 700, Christian
missionaries arrive to
convert the Anglo-Saxons
Latin returns (the
language of the Church)
800-900 AD Vikings
invade from Denmark and
Norway
King Alfred-878 AD
-Organizes Anglo-Saxons
to counter Viking attacks
-Considered first true king
(called “Alfred the
Great”)
– England (from the
word “Angleland”)
becomes a nation
King Alfred brings an age of prosperity
End of Anglo-Saxon Period

In 1066, the Normans (French speaking
people from Normandy in France), led by
William the Conqueror, attack and defeat the
English at the Battle of Hastings
-the 3rd language
is introduced—
French
-French culture
and French
literature arrives
William, Duke of Normandy
Defeats Anglo-Saxons
 Confiscates Anglo-Saxon lands
 Excludes Anglo-Saxon lords from court
 Introduces feudalism as a social/economic
system.
 Beginning of “middle English” a
combination of Old English, Old French,
and Latin

Norman Conquest Marks
Beginning of Medieval Period
Medieval is an English word that is based
on the Latin “medium aevum” which
means “middle ages”
 The “middle ages” is the middle period of
history (antiquity, middle ages, modern
times)
 Generally covers the period between the
fall of Rome and the Renaissance.

The “High” Middle Ages
(begin 1095)
• Begin with the First Crusade (1095)--reclaim
Jerusalem from the infidels
– Open trade routes
– Peasants (the vassals) are liberated from their
lords to fight, and die, in the Holy Lands
– Cities spring up along the crusade routes
– Feudalism dies out
– the transition to the Renaissance begins
The “High” Middle Ages
• Before, in the Dark
Ages, the Church
provided structure to
society, not only with
religion, but by
providing education,
as well.
• Sadly, with the
Crusades, the Church
becomes incredibly
corrupt.
– Popes fight for
political power
– Greed is rampant
• selling of indulgences
• Crusades for $
• look for this in the
Tales
The Magna Carta (1215)
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Some barons rebel against King John
– High taxes
– Costly wars
– Loss of property

He was forced to sign The Magna Carta
– Limited the power of the king
– Barons could overrule king’s rulings
– Right to trial
The Black Death-1348
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Paradoxically, the Plague
provides for continued growth
in cities
– Afterwards, hundreds of new
jobs available
– Many debts “died off” with
creditors
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also contributed to society’s
culture
Spreads along trade
routes
Kills 1/3 to 1/2 of the
population
Plague outbreaks occur
through the Middle Ages
and into the Renaissance
Peasant’s Revolt-1381
Black Death kills so many that workers are
in demand, so lords agree to pay peasants
to work
 Peasants afraid this will be taken away as
more labor is available
 Wars were expensive and paid for by
taxing peasants
 Captured the Tower of London, killed
bishop of Canterbury and National
Treasurer before being dispursed
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Welcome to England and the English…
an island of peoples, languages, and
divisions...
The White Tower in London…
Chartres Cathedral
part of William’s legacy
Latin -- church, schools
French -- court, castle
English -- commoners
What was it like to live in
the Middle Ages?
Some Overarching Principles that Governed Medieval Life
The Great Chain of Being
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Name given to the
ancient belief in the
unchangeable order of
the universe from the
highest spiritual beings
(God) to the lowest
inanimate objects (dirt)
Supported the belief that
people were born into
their place (estate) and
were meant to stay there
by God’s will.
The Three Estates in the Middle Ages
Estates viewed as the
natural order of society:
– Clergy
 Latin chiefly spoken, those
who pray, purpose was to
save everyone’s soul
– Nobles
 French chiefly spoken, those
who fight, purpose was to
protect—allow for all to work
in peace—and provide justice
– Commoners
 English spoken, those who
work, purpose was to feed
and clothe all above them
Feudalism
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A peasant renews his oath of loyalty to
his lord.
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The economic system of much
of the Middle Ages
Feudalism created ties of
obedience and loyalty between
the peasants and their lord.
Peasants lived on a feudal
manor. The lord of the manor
gave his peasants land to farm.
Peasants were taxed and had to
surrender a portion of their
crops to the lord.
In return, peasants received
protection from roving bandits.
Chivalry
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A product of feudalism,
chivalry was an
idealized system of
manners and morals
– Restricted to nobility
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Medieval knight was bound
to the code of chivalry to
be loyal to…
– God
– his lord
– his lady
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Ideals of Chivalry include...
– kindness
– brotherly love
– politeness
 Sir Gawain is an example
The Catholic Church
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Provided guidance through well
known precepts..
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Seven Deadly Sins
Pride
Greed
Wrath
Envy

Gluttony
Sloth
Lust
Seven Virtues
Prudence
Temperance
Justice
Courage
Faith
Hope
Love
The Wheel of Fortune
The idea of Fortune spinning
her wheel was one of the
most pervasive ideas
throughout the Middle Ages.
On the wheel are depicted four
figures:
-one on the left (I shall reign)
-one on top (I reign)
-one on the right (I have
reigned)
-one on the bottom (I am
without a kingdom)
It served to remind people of the temporality of
earthly things.
The Wheel helps us understand
the medieval mind, and it can
help remind us that the important
things in life come from within,
that hard work has its own merits.
An award, an office, a title—these
are not the things that make for greatness.
the Ptolemaic
Universe
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Imagine a sphere that encloses
another that holds another that
holds yet another…and continues
into heaven…
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It is a commonly held myth that
people of the Medieval period
thought the Earth was
flat…FALSE!
– It was round, but at the center of
the universe!
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So what! Well, the people
of the Medieval period
loved order! Remember the
Three Estates, the Seven
Deadly Sins—a place for
everyone and everyone in
that place.
Enough
already!
I thought this was an English
class!
Literature During
the Medieval Period
Characteristics
Latin was the language of the Roman
Catholic Church, so, Latin was a common
language for Medieval writings.
 Much of literature is anonymous-old
stories retold
 Use of ALLEGORY: a device in which
characters or events symbolize ideas and
concepts (The Lord of the Rings is an
allegory for the World Wars)
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Characteristics of Medieval
Literature
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Heroism
– from both Germanic and Christian traditions,
sometimes mingled
 Beowulf
 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Presentations of idealized behavior
– literature as moral lesson
 loyalty to king
 Chivalry
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Courtly Love
The Ideal of Courtly Love
relationship was modeled on the
feudal relationship loyalty of a
knight to his liege lord.
 knight serves his courtly lady with
the same obedience and loyalty
which he owes to his liege lord.
 She is in complete control; he owes
her obedience and submission
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The knight's love for the lady inspires
him to do great deeds, in order to be
worthy of her love or to win her favor.
“Courtly love" was not between husband
and wife because it was an idealized sort of
relationship that could not exist within the
context of "real life" medieval marriages.
 In the middle ages, marriages amongst the
nobility were typically based on practical
and dynastic concerns rather than on love.
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“Courtly love" provided a model of
behavior for a class of unmarried
young men who might otherwise
have threatened social stability.
 Knights were typically younger
brothers without land of their own
(hence unable to support a wife).
 They became members of the
household of the feudal lords
whom they served.
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The lady is typically older, married, and
of higher social status than the knight
because she was modeled on the wife of
the feudal lord, who might naturally
become the focus of the young,
unmarried knights' desire.
The literary model of courtly love
may have been invented to
provide young men with a model
for appropriate behavior.
It taught them to sublimate their
desires and to channel their
energy into socially useful
behavior (love service rather than
wandering around the
countryside, stealing or raping
women.
The "symptoms" of love were described
as as if it were a sickness.
The "lovesick" knight’s typical
symptoms: sighing, turning pale,
turning red, fever, inability to sleep,
eat or drink.
The Quest
The Quest was highly important:
 the code of conduct observed by a knight
errant who is wandering in search of
deeds of chivalry. This knight is bound by
a code of behavior - a set of conventional
principles and expectations
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A quest is a hero’s journey towards a
goal. The objects of quests require
great exertion on the part of the hero,
and the overcoming of many obstacles.
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The hero's must obtain something, or
someone, by the quest and with this
object return home.
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Usually, an inner and outer problem for the
character is set.
The hero is introduced; audience identifies
with them
The hero lacks something, has a tragic flaw,
or a deep wound
The call often produces disorientation and
discomfort for the hero
The call is often in the form of a dire warning
Excuses are used to avoid the call
 This hesitation illustrates the
formidability of the challenge ahead
 Resistance creates change and
strength, allowing the hero to grow
 A physical or metaphorical crossing is
made
 The crossing is an irrevocable leap of
faith, from which there’s no turning
back
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The hero faces his greatest fear
The hero “dies,” so he can be reborn
The hero gains new perception
This new perception may create a moment of
clarity
The moment may be of great self-realization
for the hero
It may also be an epiphany for the hero’s
companions
The Hero
Is often of divine descent endowed
with great strength and ability" or "a
man admired for his achievements
and noble qualities"
Characteristics of Medieval
Literature
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Romance
– Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
– A narrative in prose or verse that tells of the
adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric
heroes
 exploits of knights
 often a supernatural element involved
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Christian message
– concern with salvation and the world to come
– no interest in social change
 until the late 14th century
 Chaucer signals new thinking, up-ending social order